Drying and conditioning apparatus



April 17,1945. B. M. JONES- DRYING AND CONDITIONING APIARATUS I Filednec. 4, 1942 2 sheets-sheet 1 April 17, 1945.` a M, JONES 2,313,896

DRYING CONDITIONING APPARATUS Filed Dee. 4,. 1942 2 sheets-sheet 2 w 229 30 7////////'///////////////////////MWW/// I z if @6 I A ZJU'J772307795 nf 45h-1 MAW@ Patented Apr. 17, 1945 DRYING AND CONDITIONINGAPPARATUS Bliss M. Jones, Orange, Mass., assignor to Rodney Hunt MachineCompany. Orange, Mass., a corporation of Massachusetts ApplicationDecember 4, 1942, Serial No. 467,849

' (Cl. :e4-5s) Claims.

This invention relates to quick drying and conditioning deviceswhlch areespecially although not exclusively adapted to the rapid drying andconditioning of textile samples for comparison purposes during thedyeing operation. The presentl invention may also be utilized fordrying, humidifying, etc. in many other arts and industries.

When dyeing large batches of cloth, yarns, etc.,

the operator must take samples from the batch at intervals, in order todetermine whether the dyeing operation has proceeded long enough toobtain the color or shade desired. The samples must be completely driedand brought into balance with the atmosphere or room humidity, so that.the true color or shade of the sample can be determined. The longer theperiod of time spent in drying and conditioning the sample, the moreerror in final color or shade ofthe entire batch is made, since thematerial being dyed has naturally been in the dye solution that muchlonger that the dry sample, and therefore the batch has absorbed moredye than the dry sample.

' air-conditioned in such atmosphere, also at high Hence it is clearthat speed in drying and conditioning the sample is greatly desired,since the quicker the sample can be used for comparison, the less errorin matching colors is made, and a truer shade obtained.

Heretofore it has been the practice to locate the sample stationarilyand to blow orv circulate heated air about it with a hair drier until itis dry, then wave the sample in the air, by hand, for about ten totwenty minutes until the heat has left it. At this point the sample isin dried and conditioned state for matching,l but at least twenty orthirty minutes has elapsed, and meanwhile the batch being dyed hasabsorbed that much more dye. Another method is to merely hold the sampleover a steam pipe or other heat radiator until the sample is dry andthen to wave it around in the air as before. Either of these methodswill take from ten to twenty minutes with the detriments referred to. y

Objects of the invention include the provision of an apparatus obviatingthe diicuities abovementioned by reducing the drying and conditioningtime to labout one minute for light fabrics and to 'three and one-halfminutes for the heaviest fabrics such as thirty-four ounce Army Meltons,with corresponding times for other fabrics and yarns; the provision of ahigh-speed drier and conditioner which may be manufactured in a smallportable self-contained unit or which may be applied to existing dyekettle housings or other heated enclosures or which may" be built intothe housings at the factory; the provision of a high-speedmechanicaldrier and conditioner mounted on a movable supportforselective location in or out of a heated enclosure whereby the samplestake advantage of a highspeed movement in the heated atmosphere tobecome dry extremely quickly and then may be instantly located in a roomatmosphere to be speed, without the necessity of touching the sample atall but by merely` moving the support to the exterior of the enclosure.

Other objects and advantages yof the invention will appear hereinafterReference is torbe had drawings in which Fig. -1 is a view in frontelevation of a device embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a section on line 2-2 of Fig. l and showing the device indrying position;

Fig. 3 is a section on line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a view'similar to Fig. 2 but showing the device inconditioning position;

Fig. 5 is a view showing a guard construction and looking in thedirection of arrow l5 in Fig. 4,

and

Fig. 6 is a detail View of the sample holding vanes looking in thedirection of arrow 6 in Fig. 4;

It has been elected to show the present invention as associated with aportable box-like enclosure having side walls I0, top l2. and bottom I4,all connected together by means of a framework l6`; and if desired thisenclosure may be 'mounted on feet I8 which may be bolted to av table,floor, or wall of a machine housing, or other support. It is to beunderstood however that this invention does not depend upon the housingillustrated, but it may be associated with any housing or enclosure ofwhatever description or for any purpose desired. It contemplated forinstance that the mechanism comprising the present invention may bemounted dlrectly on the casing or housing of an industrial ymachine suchas for instance casings or housings for dye vats and other machinery.

Inany case, the enclosure is provided with an "opening as at 20 for themovable reception of a support mounting adrying and conditioning deviceso that the latter may be moved withink the enclosure as shown in Fig. 2or it may be extended therefrom to lie outside the confines of theenclosure as shown in Fig. 4.

As here'illustrated, a hinge pintle 22 is mounted on the enclosureadjacentone edge of opening I20 and this pintle swingably mounts a Ibossor to the accompanying the like 2d. Boss 24 is provided with a pair oi!fixed arms or doors 26 and 2l which are of a size to close opening andoverlap the same at its edges 30, so that opening 28 may be closedselectively by either door 2B or 2l.

in a non-radial relation thereto as is clearly' shown in Figs. 2 and 4and the rotation of the shaft 34 will be in a direction to rotate thevenes as a unit in the direction of the arrows in these figures wherebythe vanes will tend to prevent air from slipping past the ends thereof,thus crowding the air inwardly and providing for the largest possibleamount of air to be iorced through the vanes for a. purpose to bedescribed. A motor d4 is mounted in any 'convenient way on door 26 forswinging movement therewith and the motor is used to drive belt 3B andtherefore the varies at a high speed, whether the drying device islocated interiorly or exterior'ly or the enclosure. The enclosure itseliwill be heated, as by electric elements, not shown, for which a con..trol box d is provided, or the enclosure may be heated by steam or hotair. In cases where the device is applied directly to a dye vat housingor the like, the heat in the dye liquor may be used if convenient tosupply the heat which is desired in drying the samples. 'in any case, itis preferred that the drier and conditioner have selective access to aheated and a room temperature atmosphere.

Varies l2 assume many dierent forms but in the present case it isconsidered preferable to form each vane of a pair ci screens, one screenhaving horizontal rods ed and the other screen being provided withvertical rods 5e. These two elements are designed to be clamped togetherto hold a cloth sample therebetween, see Fig. 6, and one way ci clampingthe separate screen elements of each vane together is by connecting thevanes along an edge es at se in a resilient relation, so that the screenelements may be spread apart, the sample inserted, and upon release cithe elea therebetween. A guard screen 5d he secured to arms 2S, 23 topartially enclose the rane-s and rotor.

It will be seen from the above description that -the drying device maybe swung outwardly of the time the samples have cooled they will conformto the conditions desired by the operator so that exact comparison maybemade to show the degree oi' progress of dyeing of the batch from whichthe sample was taken. It will be clear that this invention provides anextremely last drying and conditioning apparatus which prevents escapeof heat in the enclosure whether the device is being used to dry or tocondition the samples, andthe conditioning operation takes place withoutinfluence of heat within the enclosure. If desired the entire enclosuremay be made of heat resistant material and it is preferable toincorporate heat insulating material in the doors 26, 28, both foravoiding heat on the samples during the air conditioning operation andto protect the motor,

Having thus described my invention and the advantages thereof, I do notwish to be limited to the details herein disclosed, otherwise than'asset forth in the claims, but what I claim is:

`1. In a device of the class described, a housing, and means forming anaperture in the housing, a support mounted on the housing for selectivemovement substantially into and out of the housi' ing through theaperture, a drier on the support,

' ments they will snap together to hold the sample When the samples aredry, the device is swung outwardly of the enclosure,` in which positiondoor 28 completely closes opening 2B, to prevent escape of theatmosphere within the enclosure so that the samples may continue torotate at means to operate said drier, said drier comprising a rotor,varies on the rotor for holding material, said drier operating meansbeing effected to pass said material rapidly through the air both insideand outside of the housing.

2. In a device of the class described, a housing, means forming anaperture therein, a support, means mounting the support for selectivemovement substantially to housed condition in the housing and tosubstantially extended condition out oi. the housing, a drier on thesupport, said drier comprising a rotor, vanes for supporting material tobe dried, said vanes being mounted on the rotor i'or movement therewithand means to rotate the rotor, said last named means beingv the doorsfor movement therewith, said means comprising a. rotor, generallytangentially arranged, vanes for supporting material to be dried, saidvenes being mounted on the rotor and a motor to rotate the same.

4. In a drying and conditioning apparatus, a housing, an opening in thehousing, a pair of angularly spaced doors xed together and mounted forswinging 'movement on the housing, a support on the doors, a rotaryshaft on the support, a series of vanes on the shaft, and a motormounted on one door for rotating the shaft and vanes, said doors,support, and motor being movable together between positions whereineither door closes the opening.

5. In combinationl with a housing having an opening therein, anattachment adapted to be mounted on the housing in position to be' movedsubstantially into or out of the housing through the opening, a drier onthe attachment, said drier comprising a shaft, separate material holdingde- This operation takes but a few Seconds and by 1| vices mounted onthe shaft for rotative movement 'I. In/a. drying and conditioningapparatus, a housing, said housing having a wall provided in generallyspaced relation, a support connecting the doors, means for movablymounting the doors and support as a unit on the housing, a shaft, a

series of material supporting vanes on the shaft and a motor forrotating the -shaft and vanes;

said shaft, vanes and' motor being mounted n the unit, said doors,support.. motor, and shaft being movable together as a unit between.positions wherein either door closes the opening.

8. In a drying and conditioning apparatus, a housing,Y an opening in thehousingfav pair of doors, said doors being connected together by a withan opening, a pair of` doors xed together y shaft and a motor mounted onthe ,doors a series of vanes for carrying material to'be dried, saidbracket, a shaft on the bracket, .a series of vanes for supportingmaterial to be dried, said vanesbeing mounted on the shaft,amotor`mounted on one door and adapted to rotate the shaft, said doors,bracket. motor, and shaft being 4movable ltogether as a unit betweenpositions wherein either door/closes the opening.'- l

9. An apparatus as recited in claim 7 wherein the vanes are tangentiallylocated withrespect to the shaft Iand -extend forwardly in the directionof rotation thereof.

l0. A drying and conditioning apparatus adapted to be mounted on thewall of a housing for textile treating apparatus and comprisingv a pairofspaced `doors fixed together and mountedfor movement in ,and out ofthe housing, a. rotary vanes being mounted on the shaft, said supportandshaft being movable together between' positions wherein either doorwill close the housing,

., said motor being so located as to be externally located relative tothe housing in both positions of the support. l BLISS M. JONES.

